Animal Attraction Interlude
by LotornoMiko
Summary: Romelle DRULE OC Pairing. What really happened between Romelle and Sabbath when they were trapped in a room together.
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer Time! I do not own Voltron or Romelle! That honor belongs to World Events Production. I also make no money off of this fic, it is done purely for entertainment purposes. Also, Sabbath is an original character of mine so no stealing!

This story is a side story to Animal Attraction. It would be best if you read the first 50 or so chapters before reading this one to understand this interlude. Thanks.

-Michelle

It started with a scream, voice loud and piercing, hurting her ears. She never knew her voice could be so shrill, so panicked, and yet it's volume didn't compare to the thunder booming around them. It couldn't be the sky opening up, the sound different in a way Romelle could not put her finger on. Not that she had much time to figure things out, the building was rattling all around her, floor shaking underneath her feet and when she fell against the wall, she felt the instability in it's frame.

Something fell at her feet, tiny pebbles of plaster that had her looking upwards. To her horror she could see a crack in the ceiling, it seemed to widen under her gaze. She began to say something, a warning but she was still screaming, and couldn't make herself coherent. She supposed if anyone else had been with her, they wouldn't have been as alert to her distress, too lost to their own panic.

She continued to stare up at the ceiling, the pebbles becoming rocks, and then something bigger than the size of a man's fists. With horror the ceiling split open, and she could see the framework and supports that existed between floors. And then they were falling, crashing down around and towards her. Romelle screamed even louder, too stunned to move, thinking death had finally come for her.

And then she was lifted up off the ground, a man's voice rumbling in her ears, telling her it would be all right. She reacted to that voice, wrapping her arms around the body it belonged to, clinging to it in a mixture of relief and fear.

They were moving, and the ceiling was coming down all around them. Sabbath could see the far wall of the hall had been destroyed, allowing the mid day sun to brighten a hall that had become dark the instant the rumbling had started. His eyes were making the adjustment to the light's change, Sabbath darting as fast as he dared through the rubble and bombardment of broken ceiling.

He skidded to a halt when a particular large piece landed before him, coming perilously close to him and the precious cargo he carried. The toes of his right boot actually stubbed themselves on it, and Sabbath reacted by jerking to the left of the path he traveled. The shaking was getting worse, what remained of the ceiling would likely fall. Sabbath knew he had to get somewhere safe, and didn't know where.

The split in the ceiling seemed to follow his escape, chasing after his figure as he ran down corridor after corridor. Pieces continued to fall, many just missing him, and he inwardly bit back curses with each near miss. Romelle was in his arms, and she had grown quiet, just trembling as she clung to him. He tightened his grip on her, but there was no time to savor the fact that his mate was willingly in his arms, and holding him back.

The way became even more perilous, the rubble too much to easily navigate. Another curse growled through clenched teeth, and then Sabbath was jerking his body towards an open door. He had only seconds to notice it was a bedroom, Sabbath rushing to place Romelle underneath the large bed, hoping it would be enough to protect her.

Debris continued to fall, and then the split began cracking holes into the bedroom's ceiling. Sabbath jerked away from the bed, looking for some place safe to stand. With his brawny build, there was no chance of him joining Romelle under the bed, the Drule was forced to do a mad tap dance to avoid the falling rubble.

Romelle wasn't sure what had happened. One minute she had been in someone's arms, the next she was in a cramped space, watching bits of the castle come falling down. She whimpered from underneath the bed, choking on the dust that was kicked up from the ceiling's collapse. She wanted to cry, and yet did not dare, staring wide eyed at the messy state of the floor.

The castle's shaking at last quit it's rumbling, and she became aware that light had been restored part way. It still left her surroundings too dark, but it was better than being trapped in the absence of total light.

That thing she was under moved, Romelle realizing someone was lifting the bed up. A dirt strewn face looked at hers, expression worried as the man effortlessly held up the bed. "Are you all right?" He asked, and she blinked, slow to react. Her lack of response agitated him, she could tell by the tightening of the skin around his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

"N...no..." She stammered at last, shaking her head no. Sabbath seemed to sigh in relief, nodding his head in approval.

"Good...that's good."

She realized she should spare him the task of holding up the bed, and yet she couldn't will herself to move. Sabbath continued to stare at her, both hands supporting the bed, leaving her to wonder how long it would take him to tire. She took the whole of him in, noting how chiseled with muscles his arms were. She thought there was a chance he could hold the bed up indefinitely, and that made her afraid.

It showed on her face, Sabbath was alert to the change in her. "What's wrong?" He asked, and she shook her head no.

"It's nothing..." She wouldn't admit that she was frightened of being alone with a man, a Drule, that could easily snap her in two with his bare hands. He didn't look like he believed her claims of nothing, Sabbath opening his mouth to say something else. "What happened?" Romelle blurted out, hoping to distract him with her question.

"Ceiling came down." He said, stating the obvious. The simpleness of his answer annoyed her, Romelle frowning at him.

"I can see that!" She snapped. "I meant WHAT caused it to do that?"

"You want my guess?" She nodded, and he said without humor. "Then I believe the Drule ships must have succeeded in breaking the castle's shielding. No doubt they crashed something very large into the upper part of the castle."

"No..." She gasped, then cried out as another realization took her. "Nanny! Nanny and the other maids could have been up there!" That thought got her moving, Romelle crawling past Sabbath, who slowly lowered the bed back into place. She got even more dirt and dust on her white dress, Romelle trying to stand. She shrieked when plaster suddenly fell from the ceiling, a heavy coating of it that kicked up a dust cloud.

Sabbath immediately grabbed her, pulling her against his body in a protective embrace. He couldn't shield them from the dust cloud, both of them were choking on it, nostrils filled with plaster particles.

"Open a window or something!" his mate cried out, coughing pitifully.

"This room has no windows." Sabbath said apologetically.

"What?"

"It's one of the rooms on the inside part of the building." He explained, and she grumbled out a reply.

"Great." A sigh then, Romelle trying to push herself away from him. He was tempted to tighten his hold, he wanted to feel her in his arms for just a few seconds longer. "Well..." She said, seeming oblivious to his inner struggle. "At least the shaking has stopped." A glance at him, Romelle not quite smiling. "Let's get out of here before anything else happens..."

He nodded, and walked past her towards the bedroom's door. The floor was littered with rubble, and he paused to help her past pieces of it, Sabbath careful to choose paths that would keep her clothes from snagging on the debris. She didn't thank him, looking exasperated by the extra attention he gave her.

They reached the door, and Sabbath motioned for Romelle to wait. He would not let his mate leave this room until he ascertained just how dangerous the situation out in the hall was. His hand reached for the doorknob, Sabbath grateful no rubble had fallen in front of the door. He pushed and he pulled, shaking the door knob, hearing it rattle weakly. It did not give in to his prodding, remaining stuck in place.

"What's wrong?" His mate's anxious voice came from behind him. "Why are you taking so long?"

"The door..." he said slowly and carefully. "It's...stuck..."

"Stuck? Quit your kidding!" She sounded like she was forcing herself to be disbelieving. "It can't be stuck!" She added, and Sabbath rattled the door knob once again. "You're just not trying hard enough. Here, let me!" Romelle tried to shove him away from the door, as though her pitiful human strength would have more luck in opening it than him.

More than a bit bemused, Sabbath moved at her prodding, watching as Romelle tried the door knob. She shook it almost as forcefully as him, and was rewarded with the doorknob coming off in her hands. His mate stared at the knob in dismay, then dropped it to the floor. In a panic, she began to pound her hands on the flat surface of the door, even threw a few kicks at it.

"HELP!" Romelle screamed, and continued her assault on the door. "Someone help! We're in here!"

"Romelle!" Sabbath rumbled out in a loud voice, trying to gain her attention. "Stop it. It's no use. You'll only hurt yourself..." He was ignored, the girl continuing to pound on the door, leaving him to fear she'd beat her hands bloody in the attempt.

Romelle was aware of banging on the door, and then arms were around her, Sabbath's hands grabbing her wrists. She grew even more determined to break down the door, and if she was honest, a part of her would have admitted she panicked when wrapped up in that bear hug of his. She struggled with the Drule, legs kicking out to slam into the door, so hard she winced and let a whimper of pain escape her.

Sabbath didn't turn smug, didn't point out that she had proved him right in hurting herself. Instead he just carried her away from the door, and he did it so effortlessly, as though she was no more than a struggling mouse that it left Romelle sagging in his grip. How could she fight someone so strong, if her every attempt at struggle did no more than annoy him like the buzz of an insect's wings?

Sabbath deposited his mate onto the edge of the bed, and it was with a sullen expression that she regarded him with. He tried not to be bothered by the look she gave him, instead radiating his concern for her foot. He knelt down before her, and reached for her right ankle. She actually tried to kick him once more, and only his quick reflexes kept her toes from planting in his face.

"It was this foot that made you cry out..." Sabbath talked as though she hadn't just tried to kick him. "Yes?" He glanced at her face as he eased off her once pristine colored slipper. A nod was his answer, Romelle looking pouty as his fingers caressed over the top of her toes. She immediately hissed, and Sabbath grew concerned, forgetting to take joy in the fact that he was handling some part of his mate's body.

"I don't think you broke anything." He said to her, relieved to see her cute toes weren't so much as swollen or bruised. "You just kicked the door a little too hard." His fingers lingered on her foot, Sabbath taking advantage of the situation to touch her more than he should.

"I could have told you that!" Romelle retorted, and gestured for him to hand her, her flimsy looking shoe. He didn't reply, instead sliding the shoe back on her foot for her, cautious of the tremble in her legs that hinted his mate wanted to kick him again.

But she behaved herself, deciding to tune him out, and cast her glance back and forth about the room. He remained on his knees, just gazing up at her, drinking in his fill of her beauty. It was the first time he had gotten to just look at her, since the night he had startled her, Romelle waking up screaming to find him in her bedroom.

Romelle was aware the Drule was staring at her, the gold of his eyes dark with some unfathomable emotion. He wasn't smiling though, she couldn't handle it if he had been, Romelle uneasy and on the verge of flight though she had nowhere to go. Except maybe the bathroom, the girl noting that door didn't seem obstructed by the rubble. If their luck would hold out, perhaps the other side would be clear as well.

Not that having a bathroom would do them much good in escaping. That room would be as windowless as this bedroom, and Romelle let out a plaintive sigh. "What do we do now?"

"Now?" A slow blinking of his eyes, Sabbath still staring at her.

"Yes, now!" Romelle snapped. "We're trapped, the castle is in bad condition, enemies are poised to successfully invade..." Her eyes widened, she suddenly felt ill. "Oh God!" Her hands flew to her mouth, and Sabbath sat up taller on his knees, hands hovering over her arms. "Oh God..we're trapped, everyone;s going to leave without us, and then the Drule will come and find us!"

Sabbath started to say something, but she paid his words no mind, too busy working herself up into a panic. "They'll kill us both! Or worse! Oh...Oh God..." She thought she might retch, so palpable was her horror. She remembered the lecherous guards that came to visit her and the other girls, their taunts and innuendoes, and blatant sexual harassment. They had wanted to rape them, and hadn't been shy about the things they intended to do just as soon as they received their superior's permission.

She had heard things, seen them do obscene gestures as they spoke in graphic detail. Some of what they had wanted to do was unheard of, things not even covered in those romance novels she so favored. It had chilled her flesh, and made her stomach turn with dread to think of those pigs touching her, and now she felt that same fear as she realized she might be thrust into their proximity once more.

His mate was in pain, expression twisted with horror, eyes not seeing him as she thought of things that only added to her upset. She kept muttering phrases, repeating words and shaking in on herself. She actually flinched when he put a soothing hand on her arm, Romelle opening her mouth to scream. He rose up to try and calm her, and she grew more panicked, kicking out with her legs, and striking his chest with her fists.

Her fists didn't hurt, nor did her nails scratching claw marks in his flesh bother him all that much. He was more concerned with the sheer and utter terror on her face, the panic in her eyes. He tried to get her to stop attacking him, and it was a struggle to make her cease her movements without hurting her. He wasn't use to handling someone as delicate and as precious as a mate, far too used to using brute strength to deal with troublemakers and enemy soldiers.

Romelle was screaming now, and if there were enemy soldiers outside their door, she would bring them running with her voice. He tried calming her with his voice, even as he struggled with her body. Her foot came perilously close to a very sensitive part on the center of his body, Sabbath grimacing at the near miss to his balls. With a bit more force than he wanted to use, he forced her down onto her back, only to have Romelle grow ballistic when she realized what position she was in.

Romelle no longer saw Sabbath when she looked at him, instead she saw the soldiers from the Drule warship. She wasn't sure how it had happened, how they had gotten to her so fast, but she was aware that a Drule was on top of her, holding her down. She struggled even more, only to have his weight pin her legs, preventing her from kicking. She began to scream herself hoarse, finding her hands gathered up in one large fist.

She knew she was only tiring herself out, but she continued to fight, screaming out unintelligible words. Her throat began to hurt, and she was forced to lower her voice, and it was then that she realized the Drule was talking to her. Talking was too mild a turn for what he was doing, he was SINGING to her. She did not know the words, but his voice was a pleasing rumble, soothing to her ears.

Without realizing it, she had stopped screaming, voice coming out in soft whimpers as the voice continue to sing. A hand was in her hair, petting her over and over, and the touch relaxed her enough to stop struggling. Even when she went completely limp on the bed, the voice continued, fingers stroking through her hair, and the weight staying on her.

Sabbath held in a sigh when he saw the signs of his mate's relaxation. It had been a gamble, but it seemed his song had calmed her down, taking away the panic of whatever had frightened her so badly. He wanted to know more about the fearful thoughts she had had, Sabbath wanting to learn how to combat them so she need never give into her fear again. He had an inkling of the kind of thoughts they were, gleaning knowledge from the things she had shouted at him. Someone aboard the Drule warship had scared her, frighten this strong, brave woman to the point she could go witless thinking of the Drule.

This knowledge left him feeling angry and helpless, Sabbath wanting to find who ever had terrorized Romelle and tear the culprits apart from limb to limb. He continued to sing, waiting until Romelle recovered, looking much like her old self minus the defiant spark he was so used to seeing within her.

"You have such a nice singing voice." She sighed out, though she wasn't looking straight at him. "Do all Drule sing so sweetly?"

"Not all. It is just like with you humans, gifts and talents varying from person to person." Sabbath explained, still petting her hair. He didn't want to get up off her, and she seemed in no hurry to shove him away.

"I see." Romelle murmured. Then she asked a question she should have perhaps avoided, the girl turning her sapphire colored eyes towards him. "What do the words mean?"

"The words?" He hedge, growing flustered at her insistent nod. He wanted to say it had been a bunch of nonsense, something to soothe a troubled child without any meaning to it. But he didn't want to lie to her. "I spoke from my heart." Sabbath said at last.

"Your heart?"

"Yes." He had let go of her wrists, brining that hand that had held them prisoner to his chest. He pressed his hand over where his heart lay, and looked at her earnestly. "The words...they just come to me when I look at you..." Her look said she didn't believe him, and her doubt agitated him. "I love you so much Romelle..." He told her, trying to make her understand. "I want you...want a future with you. A family..."

She laughed then, her hands pushing at his chest, trying to move him off of her. "You want the impossible."

"Why?" he demanded, not budging from his perch on top of her. "Why is it impossible."

"You're a DRULE." Romelle said this as though it was all the explanation she needed. "And I am human...the two don't mix together."

"Lotor is Drule, and your cousin is human, and they mix just fine." Sabbath pointed out.

"Allura is infatuated, but it won't last." Romelle said confidently. "She'll sooner or later realize the mistake she's making, and end this situation with Lotor."

"You're wrong..." Sabbath insisted. "They are mates, predestined by fate to be together."

"Fate? Don't make me laugh!" She continued to shove at him. "I think it's all a bunch of lies you Drules make up to lure foolish human women into your beds." His jaw dropped at that, he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the thought of lying about one's mate. Mating was a sacred thing, and only a fool who had turned away from love would lie and tamper with it.

"Will you get off me!" Romelle cried out, sounding annoyed. "I'm fine now." She added. "I don't need you to baby-sit me."

"You may not need a sitter, but you do need someone to watch out for you." Sabbath answered. "Especially now." She fixed him with a look, and he slowly got up off her. "You're right to be scared. We're trapped, and we don't know when or if the enemy will arrive." She blanched at that, and he took her hand, placing it on the blaster on his hip. "But I will protect you..."

"How big is your charge?" She asked, seeming to tremble as she touched the blaster. "I mean...you can't hold out indefinitely against them with just one blaster!"

"I will manage." Sabbath insisted, and flexed his right arm. "I do not rely on lasers alone."

"Your brute strength won't stand up to heavy laser fire!" She sounded alarmed, and he almost smiled at the concern in her voice. "We have to get out of here!" She continued, standing up and turning away from him. "Isn't there some way to force the door open?"

"You saw as I did that the door will not budge." Sabbath replied calmly. "Is there not a secret passage in these upper floors, like the one your cousin said we would use to evacuate the castle?"

"If there is, I don't know about it." Romelle felt depressed, wondering if her last worldly moments would be spent trapped in this room, with only a Drule for company. She sighed out loud, and began pacing about the room, poking and prodding with her toe at stray debris. Sabbath sat on the bed and watched her, and she wondered what he was thinking even as she wished he wasn't so alert to her every movement.

"Will you stop that!" She demanded harshly.

"Stop what?"

"Stop staring at me all the time!" She clarified, and saw him blink slowly. "It's making me nervous!"

"I do not mean to make you nervous..." he began, and she snorted.

"Oh don't you? You're always around me these last few days, always watching, always waiting." She glared at him now, hands on her hips. "Just what are you waiting for Sabbath?"

"You." His honesty shouldn't have surprised her, but she went speechless all the same. "I've been waiting for you. I've been waiting my whole life, just for the chance to meet you."

"Meet me?" She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the flustered look from showing in her eyes. "I bet you didn't even know of me until a few days ago! How can you say you've been waiting forever to meet me?"

"Because I have been!" he exclaimed passionately, rising from the bed. She was taken aback by his display of fierce emotion, Romelle staring at him from across the room. "I may not have known of you, or who you were, but I've been waiting every since I was a small boy for the chance to meet the woman who would be mine."

"I'm not yours!" She said in a flare of temper. He gave her withered smile, pain tinting the corners of it.

"I know. You might never be mine, might never acknowledge what we have between us."

"We have nothing." Romelle told him, and he shook his head no, looking supremely agitated.

"Can't you feel it?" he asked, and she frowned.

"It?"

"The connection between us...the very energy around us crackles with force when we are near each other..." He started to walk towards her, and she immediately backed up, not liking when he stretched out his hand towards us. "We don't have to touch for me to feel it...I know a human's senses aren't as strong as a Drules, but surely some part of you recognizes me!"

"No." She shrank against the wall, trying to avoid his outstretched hand. He grew frustrated at her attempts at avoidance, and just hovered his fingers in place over her chest. Romelle thought her imagination overactive, cause she could swear she felt the energy he spoke of, just crackling slightly with anticipation. She told herself it was just static, and quickly slid to the right of him. "There's nothing about me that responds to you."

"You lie." She glanced back and saw he had narrowed his eyes at her, looking fierce in the moment. She swallowed nervously, and continued walking away from him. "Every interaction we've had, you've responded!"

"You're delusional!"

"It may not have been a favorable response, but you reacted. First with fear, than with anger, and then jealousy." Sabbath listed for her, recalling how indifferent she had tried to act when those human females had pestered him to sing for them.

"ME? Jealous because of you?" Romelle made a scoffing sound, but she didn't sound as indignant as she could have been.

"Yes." He hissed with a nod of his head.

"You're insane. You're absolutely certifiable!" Romelle exclaimed. "To think I would ever be jealous due to something you did! I'd have to notice you first to be jealous!"

"But you have noticed me!" Sabbath pointed out. "Else it wouldn't bother you that I am always around, watching you!"

"Fine!" She snapped. "I noticed you. You're kinda hard to miss, you annoying gnat! You're always underfoot, and doing inappropriate things, never taking into consideration my feelings!"

He blinked, taken aback. "Inappropriate things?"

"Sneaking into my room, getting drunk and singing to me...!"

"I...That was my attempt to get closer to you!" he protested.

"Well, it's having the opposite effect of what you intended!" Romelle retorted.

"It's because you're human..." he began, but she interrupted him with a hiss.

"Don't blame this on me!"

"But it's true!" Sabbath reached up to touch his hair, feeling the many thin braids that covered his head. "If you were Drule, we wouldn't be having these difficulties!"

"Oh, and I suppose Drule females are just so easy?" Romelle demanded, and he nodded.

"Yes!" He as agitated, stroking his braids with his fingers. "If you were Drule there would be none of this fear and uncertainty. We wouldn't be fighting, you wouldn't be avoiding me. We'd just be together!"

"Then go find yourself a Drule female and leave me alone!" sniffed a haughty Romelle.

"I can't!" An anguished Sabbath said. "Don't you understand? You're IT for me? You're my everything Romelle...my world, my life, my very reason for existing. You hold the key to my happiness in your hands, and instead you choose to let me die a slow death by refusing to be with me!"

She stared at him a moment, uneasy by his words. He looked besides himself with grief at the moment, enough so that she felt bad for him. She hadn't really understood how hard the Drules loved when they found their mates, but she was beginning to get a small inkling of it now.

"Come on." She said out loud. "One person can't be all that to another..." She felt uneasy at the thought, as though she wouldn't be able to live up to his expectations if he really saw her as the center of his world.

"They can to a Drule." Sabbath immediately responded. "Romelle I would turn my back on my world and my prince for you. I would do anything, crawl on broken glass if need be, to get you to return even an ounce of my affection!"

"You can't love me..." Romelle insisted. "You don't even know me!"

"Not in the conventional sense, but in the spiritual sense, I do..." Sabbath told her. He refused to believe the mating aspect of the Drule life would tease him and give him a mate that would prove completely incompatible with him. "You're my other half...my soul is complete with you by my side."

She wore an odd expression on her face, one Sabbath couldn't read. Her mouth opened and closed, lips parts on a sigh. "Sabbath..." Romelle began, then a sound was heard. Romelle gasped, excited. "Someone's at the door!"

"Wait!" He advised, not wanting her to alert potential enemies to their position. Instead he approached the door, and began listening to the movements on the other side. Cautiously, he pounded on the door, and heard an answering knock.

It was more than Romelle could take, the girl rushing over to bang on the door. "We're in here!" She called out, much to his annoyance. "Please! Get us out of here!"

"Romelle, caution!" Sabbath hissed. "It might not be friend that is on that side of the door!" Her blue eyes widened, the girl realizing the truth of his words. She immediately stopped her banging, and guiltily stepped away from the door. Sabbath also backed up, hand on his blaster, watching the door intently. If anyone tried to come in and they weren't a friendly face, he would shoot them.

Luckily, or perhaps not, the banging stopped, the person on the other side of the door losing interest. It soon became apparent he wasn't alone, Sabbath could hear screams, and the sound of laser firing opening. It sounded as though a small war had opened up on the other side of the door, and he could only pray that the victors of this battle would be an ally of Arus.

Damn this got long...

This interlude story takes place between chapters 44 and 47.

To Be Continued...

Michelle


	2. Chapter 2

Settling into a new position, one that proved less comfortable than his previous one, Sabbath sighed. It had been hours since he and Romelle had first become trapped inside this room. Hours since they had gone searching for Nanny and the other maids, and even more time had passed since the commotion outside the room's door. Sabbath didn't know what to make of the fact that the noise had stopped, and that no one, neither friend nor foe had come to open the door.

It didn't mean Sabbath relaxed, he kept on constant alert, blaster in hand as he sat against the wall. His position allowed him to see both the door and the bed, and in truth his eyes kept drifting to the feminine figure that lay in the center of the bed's mattress. Romelle had been asleep for the better part of an hour, the girl having seemed to exhaust herself from her earlier hysterical fit.

He didn't begrudge her the sleep, if she needed it, then she would have it. However, Sabbath longed with every fiber of his being to put down the blaster, and join his mate in the bed. They didn't even have to do anything, he would be content to just hold her. But he had little hopes that she would agree to that, even at her most incoherent, she hadn't held still for his touch.

He sighed, and continued to stare at her, wishing things could be different. He wasn't yet seeing their predicament as the God send it really was, too aware of Romelle and her quick to grow hostile nature. She was constantly agitated, and violatile, her temper set off by the things he said to her. Sabbath wasn't turned off by her angry moods, if anything he thought about how if she was half as passionate as she could be hostile, than loving her would be a soul shaking experience.

He wondered if he'd ever get to experience her love, her joy, her happiness. The way things currently were between them, he feared the answer was no, and that thought was enough to make him feel like crying. But Drule warriors did not give into tears, not matter what kind of pain they were in. Not even when their heart was trying to break apart over a mate's rejection.

Movement from the bed, Romelle stirring in her sleep. She had been tossing and turning for a while now, and he wondered what dreams troubled her. He had a feeling she wouldn't tell him if he asked, and he had doubts over the wiseness of letting her know he was aware she had been dreaming.

"Ngh..." A sound from Romelle, the first she had made since falling asleep. It wasn't exactly a distressed sound, Sabbath staring at her wide eyed. She made another, similar sound, than followed it up with a moan. That moan sent shivers down his spine, Sabbath wondering if he was imagining the sexual quality to her voice.

"Ngh...ahhh!" Her back arched, Romelle's body reacting to the man above her. Her hands gripped the sheets of the bed, fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. She wasn't sure what was going on, or how it had happened, but Sabbath was with her. He stayed hovering above her, hands everywhere as they cast worshipful caresses all along her curves.

It wasn't enough, she wanted more, Romelle whimpering out a plea. "Please...more.." Another throaty moan, Romelle letting go of the bed sheet to hold out an imploring hand to him. She had no idea she was being watched, or how much she was making the real Sabbath sweat. She was caught up in her dreams, and in them she didn't fight him, didn't think it was wrong or nasty to be with a Drule.

"Yes..." She sighed out sweetly, the dream Sabbath bending his head to kiss at her breasts. "There...like that..."

Sabbath stared at her, and even in the dim lighting of the room, he could see how her nipples strained against the fabric of her dress. He would have written it off as her feeling the chill that existed inside this room, but there was another sign of her arousal. His nostrils flared, Sabbath scenting the musky perfume that signaled his mate was excited. He found himself licking his lips, his own excitement growing as he reholstered the blaster on his hip and began to crawl closer to the bed.

Sabbath was kissing her all over, Romelle writhing in place, moaning at the way his tongue laved attention on her. She smiled and moaned, and found herself parting her legs, inviting him to settle his body between them. She gasped when she found the evidence of his arousal, that heavy bulged that pressed against her groin. She found herself wiggling, trying to grind herself in place on it, and whimpering needfully.

Sabbath could have torn open his hand on one of the exposed nails that protruded out of the gathered debris, and he wouldn't have cared. All that mattered was reaching Romelle, and tending to her needs. He wasn't sure what that tending entailed, not with her so against being with him, but damn if he wouldn't at least sit besides her and stroke her hair. Though in truth, every fiber of his being cried out for the stroking of a much different body part.

"Hmmm..." Another sigh was let out of Romelle, the girl's smile as beautiful as it was genuine. It enchanted him, Sababth wishing she would smile at him in that manner when awake.

Sabbath was moving with her, both their hips in perfect harmony as they worked in unison to reach completion. She stretched out beneath him, rubbing herself against his chest so that her nipples abraded against his. His hips increased their speed, leaving her short of breath, and moaning encouragement. Faster, and faster Sabbath went, Romelle crying out, and then gasping.

With a start she shot up like a light, sitting straight up in the bed. Her heart pounded wildly, and there was an ache in her body that centered on her breasts and in between her legs. Romelle realized she had been dreaming, and she started to let out a curse, angry to have even her sleep disturbed by Sabbath. She didn't understand it, didn't know why she had begun to dream nightly of the Drule. And in such a vivid manner.

Why he almost seemed real, and she thought she could still hear his breathing. It was then that she realized it wasn't only breathing she heard, but a muffled moan, Romelle turning to find Sabbath perched on the edge of the bed, close enough to touch. He was staring at her with the most terrifying of expressions, looking half starved and wild for her.

"Sabbath!" She exclaimed, and felt around for the bed sheet. She suddenly wanted to clutch it to her, as though the flimsy sheet could be a sufficient shield against the Drule's obvious lust. "What...what are you..."

"You were dreaming." His voice sounded different from what she was used too, no longer so sad and forlorn. His gold eyes glittered in the darkness, gaze locked onto hers and she felt powerless to turn away. Dully, she nodded her head in agreement, aware of how she must be blushing. "Of sex...Of sex with me..."

"I..." She shook her head, and he didn't so much as frown. Instead he spoke, sounding almost dreamy in the moment.

"I heard you call out my name."

Romelle was horribly humiliated, heat flooding her face. "You're mistaken. It wasn't a good dream...it...it was a nightmare!"

"A nightmare made you aroused?" he asked, and she grew even more upset.

"I'm not aroused!"

"I can smell that you're lying..." Sabbath told her, and she glared this time.

"Oh yes, because you're more animal than person. Hmph! Just like a blood hound, you Drule are!"

Sabbath didn't take insult at her words, still gazing at her with that piercing stare. He watched Romelle shift uncomfortably on the bed, the girl not even aware enough to close her legs yet. Her dirty skirt had ridden up on her thighs, and he could see her white panties, and the dampness on the fabric. He tried not to stare at her down there, though he itched to press his nose into her panties, and lick between her legs.

Some of Romelle's anger fled her at the look on Sabbath's face. It reminded her of a hungry animal being presented with a feast of their choice. It made her nervous, and she tried not to shake, inching away from him and off the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, stepping in front of her. She tried to step around him, and he blocked her, Romelle gasping at the touch as their chests bumped into one another. Sabbath did a long, drawn out hiss, his face twisting into something she hoped was not pleasure.

"To...to the bathroom!" She stammered nervously. "I need to...never mind, I just need to use it!" She didn't know how to get past him without touching him, but Romelle didn't want to put so much as one finger on him. "Now let me pass!"

Sabbath stared at her a moment longer, than nodded. Romelle nearly wilted in relief when he moved aside, the princess all but running to the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her, making sure to lock it. She then walked over to the sink, which was stained with grime but otherwise useable. She gripped the sink's sides, and stared into the mirror, seeing her startled reflection that couldn't hide how aroused she still looked.

"Damn it." Romelle muttered, and began splashing cold water on her face. "Damn HIM!" The water felt good on her skin, but wasn't having the desired effect, keeping her hot and bothered. She pushed away from the sink, and began to pace the small confines of the bathroom, muttering things under her breath. She had no idea Sabbath was lurking just outside the door, his every sense attuned to her and her plight.

She put down the lid of the toilet, and sat down, blowing out an angry breath. She wasn't unfamiliar with the needs of her body, having gleaned much practical information from her romance novels. She knew the quickest way for her to calm down was to attend to her body's needs, and that meant finishing what the dreams had started. She wasn't exactly thrilled with what she was about to do, but she began nerving herself to touch herself.

Her hands pulled up her skirt, and she eased fingers into her panties. Just as Sabbath had claimed to know, she was badly aroused, panties and sex drenched. She let out a little hiss as she began stroking along the slit of her body, her other hand being pressed to her mouth to muffle her sounds. She was being clumsy, Romelle not as confidant with her touch as she normally was, the girl in a hurry to get her climax and calm down.

And still muffled squeaks and squeals escaped her, Romelle cringing every time she voiced her pleasure. She had a right to worry, Sabbath was pacing before the bathroom door, and his ears picked up on her sounds. He didn't even have time to frown, he just reacted, kicking the door in with brutal force that shattered the lock. Romelle's shocked gasp greeted his ear, her skirt dropping down to obscure the hand that was lodge between her legs.

Sabbath stalked over to her, and snagged hold of her wrist, finding her actions offensive to him. Why should she be doing this to herself, when she had her mate ready and willing to tend to her? It made no sense, and left him agitated as he brought her hand away from her sex. Her fingers glistened with her arousal, the moisture beckoning him close for a taste. But before he could touch his tongue to one damp finger, Romelle let out a such a gasp, her horror apparent.

"What do you think you are doing?" Romelle demanded, and hated how breathless she sounded in the moment. It lent an aroused quality to her voice, and she didn't need Sabbath to get any more ideas about her than what he already had.

"What do you think YOU are doing?" Her question was echoed back to her, Sabbath still standing there poised to lick her finger. She was aware of how incriminating this all looked, and her blush bloomed on her face, Romelle unsure of how to explain.

"I...I...I don't have to explain myself to you!" Romelle said at last, hating how defensive she sounded. She tried to jerk her arm back, but he tightened his grip on her wrist, not content to let her hand get away from him. "And you shouldn't have kicked in the door...what if...what if I had been using the facilities?"

"But you weren't." Sabbath pointed out, and she jerked harder on her arm.

"I may not have been...but it was still a private moment...one you weren't invited to!"

"Are you purposefully trying to tease me Romelle?" Sabbath demanded, and his gold eyes seemed to blaze with torment. "Your every waking moment you seek to deny me, and yet when you sleep...you dream of me..."

"I told you, that was a nightmare!" She said, and moved to stand up. He didn't let go of her wrist, leaving her to stare frustrated at him.

"A nightmare that's made you aroused?" He asked in disbelief. "A nightmare that drove you to touch yourself?" Romelle had no way to explain it, and she started to look away from him. "Please..." Sabbath's voice had softened. "If your need is so great, let me help you." She raised eyebrows at that, but didn't turn back to him. "There would be no shame in asking your mate to make love to you...and I would be glad to do it."

"I bet you would..." She grumbled, and felt him jerk on her wrist so that she had to turn and look at him.

"It would be my greatest wish fulfilled to see to you as a mate should see to his woman." Sabbath told her, more serious than seductive in the moment. She glared disbelieving at him, and Sabbath felt frustration that he couldn't convince her of the sincerity of his words.

"I'm fine." Romelle insisted. "Seeing you break down the door has chased any...rampant desire within me."

"I...I frightened you." He said abashed.

"What did you expect?" She demanded. "How could you possible think anyone would react positively to you going all macho and using your brute force to break down the door?" He saw suspicion flood through her eyes then. "And why couldn't you break down the door that leads to the hallway?"

"I suspect there is a large amount of rubble on the other side." She gave Sabbath a disbelieving snort, and jerked on her hand. This time he let her go, and to his regret, Romelle began washing off her hands in the sink. He would have preferred she let him lick them clean, the Drule not wanting even one drop of her body's juices to go to waste.

"You have an excuse for everything." Romelle said, when she was done scrubbing her hands clean. He just widened his eyes, shocked at what she was saying. "I bet you WANT us to be trapped together!"

"Not if it means you're in danger!" Sabbath protested.

"The only danger I am in right now is from you!" Romelle retorted.

"I would never harm you, I give you my word!" Sabbath told her. Romelle shook her head, and it was clear by her expression she didn't put much value on a Drule's promise. "Romelle, listen to me, the danger is real. We are trapped, we have no food, we have only one blaster between us. The third floor is badly damaged, the results of it's collapse littered all around us. The castle could be breached at any time...I would not, could not trap you here just in some deranged attempt to get you to be with me."

She just stared at him, eyes looking so uncertain in the moment. More than anything, it made him want to hug her, to wrap her up in a protective embrace, and whisper away all her fears. "Romelle, I will swear that this is true on whatever you want me to make a vow upon."

"Do Drules believe in Gods?" She suddenly asked, and he couldn't help but react in surprise.

"Of course. We may not seem like it, but we are a highly religious race." He risked a half smile at her. "Although many of our Gods are of the dark brethren, who embody war and violence."

"But there are some that are nice?" She questioned, and he nodded.

"We can't have the bad without the good." He explained. "As many of our Gods are of a darker nature, we too have those of light. Especially those Goddesses that are devoted to love, the union of mates, and the family unit." He gave her his own curious look. "Why do you ask?"

"Is there any God or Goddess I can trust you to make a vow upon, one that would behoove you to uphold your promise?"

"I would vow upon Cemesta, the Goddess that looks over lovers." Sabbath said, and pressed a hand to his chest. "I vow to you and to the Goddess, that what I speak to you is nothing but the truth. Just as I vow that I will protect you, no matter who comes through that door."

Romelle stared at him trying to judge how sincere and truthful he was being. He looked as serious as he had ever been, and she let out a breath. "All right...I'll give you the benefit of doubt...For now." She added, trying to stave off the smile he wanted to give her. "Now...if you'll move out of the way...I think I would like to go back to sleep..."

"All right." Sabbath said, turning to walk out of the bathroom. She followed him, trying to keep her body from accidentally brushing his as she walked past him. She returned to the bed, and gathered a sheet, wrapping it around her for comfort. Sabbath took up position on the floor, blaster across his lap, as he watched the doorway. But Romelle felt certain that every time she glanced away, he looked at her. And yet she could never catch his eyes on her when she turned back.

She lay down, and stared up at the damaged ceiling, seeing exposed wires hanging downwards. They weren't low enough to reach, and she was relieved they gave off no sparks. But still she couldn't just slip back into sleep, Romelle sighing and turning from side to side. "Sabbath?"

"Yes, Romelle?"

"Do you think Allura and the others are safe?" He was silent long enough for Romelle to grow concerned, turning over to look at him.

"I do not know about the others in the castle, but I do know this. My prince will protect her. He will make sure she is safe, even at the cost to his own life." She shivered at that, and Sabbath somehow noticed, even from across the room. "Mated Drules are the absolute in loyalty. The male will do anything to insure the female's survival..."

"Why do you sound so sad at that?" She questioned softly.

"It's...well...when one half of a mated pair dies, it isn't long before the other half follows." Romelle widened her eyes at that, shocked. "They die of heart break you see." He explained. "The survivor simply does not want to live without the other one."

"So they just will themselves to die?" Romelle demanded, and grew even more shocked when Sabbath nodded after a moment's consideration.

"Yes. That's a good way to explain what happens during the grieving process."

"That's horrible!" She gasped, and shuddered. "And what happens if there are any children involved?"

"They are left to family to be taken care of. Although sometimes the grieving process is slow enough that the one left behind clings to life long enough to raise the children."

"Why can't they just find someone else to love? To take away the pain of losing their first love?" Romelle wanted to know.

"It doesn't work like that Romelle. A Drule can have many partners, but when a mated pair finds each other, they cease to be aware of any others on an intimate level. They would neither desire, nor want to desire any others. It is love, as true a love as ever there was." A sad sort of smile crossed his face. "A love that many envy, and spend their adult lives yearning for."

"And you think I'm that to you?"

"I don't think, I know." Sabbath told her. "I've known since I first saw you, since I first smelled you. You were meant to be mine." She grew quiet at that, so long he thought she had fallen asleep. And then she broke the silence.

"I don't believe..."

"I know." He said in answer to her sad whisper. He wished he knew how he could prove it to her, remembering the things his prince had told him. Lotor had explained that the humans did not believe in things such as love at first sight, they demanded something more concrete than what their eyes and nose told them. They could spend their whole loves looking for love, and never find it, having to settle for someone less than their true love.

He didn't want Romelle to settle for someone else, he wanted her to want him. To see him as her mate, her love, her everything. He thought it would be tragic that she might toss away their love before it could take root in her heart, that she might trample on his heart in an attempt to get away. He wouldn't survive if she left him, and yet he didn't dare tell her that, not wanting to add any more pressure than what she already felt from him.

"Why...why are Drules finding mates among humans?" She asked, her voice holding a yawn.

Sabbath shrugged, seeking out the sapphire of her eyes. She was turned towards him, eyes half closed as she struggled to stay awake. "Not sure...Prince Lotor has a theory..."

"A theory...?"

"Yes. He thinks it's our human blood that allows our mates to be something other than Drule. It's ironic, for his father thought to breed out all genetic need for one's mate, by going against the norm, and breeding with a woman that wasn't his."

"Is that what happened with you?" Romelle asked.

"There's many males in the Drule Empire who on occasion take to dabbling with lovers before they find their mates. It is when they breed with women who are not Drules, that half breeds such as myself and the prince are conceived. I doubt my father thought beyond the night's pleasure, he certainly didn't have as lofty a goal as King Zarkon did with Prince Lotor's conception."

"Hmmm..." Except for that noise Romelle was silent, and he saw her eyes had finally closed. Her chest was soon rising and falling evenly with her sleep, and he felt torn between relief and a yearning to keep talking to her. The conversation had been civil, almost pleasant, and that in and of itself was a rare miracle. Even if the ending result of their conversation had stirred up unwanted memories, Sabbath glad she hadn't asked for the details behind his parentage.

He wondered how she'd feel to know he didn't even know who his father had been, his mother a slave, which afforded him little to no status among the Doom Drules. He was all too aware of the gap in status between him and Romelle, even though she had not thrown her royal title in his face. He wondered if his mate even thought that far about him, or if she was so certain there would never be anything between them, that she needn't worry about the lack of status in his life.

Such thoughts left him even more troubled, Sabbath letting out a depressed sounding sigh. He was once again filled with the hopelessness of the situation between him and Romelle, and now he didn't even have Prince Lotor and Princess Allura's repeated encouragement to help him perk up. His thoughts turned darker, Sabbath wondering if he was destined to die for his love.

To Be Continued!

Michelle

KMS6565, why am I not surprised you snagged first review for this fic? And thanks! Glad you've been looking forward to this! And there will be an arc of Sabbath Romelle in the main AA story as well. ^_- He's still got quite a way to go if he wants to land Romelle as his in the storyline. *giggles* Yes, Sabbath really thinks her feet are sexy! XD

Misty Gargoyle, why thank you! I'm glad you feel that way about their romance. :D

Chrisitne, the Dark Rose Maiden, thanks! I'm so happy to read about people's excitement for this pairing. :D Yes...Romelle did panic. I worry maybe she panicked too much, but well...she didn't have as good a time as Allura did when captured. Even if they didn't touch her and the other girls, they sure threathened and talked filthy to them. Really heaped on the fears of what they would do once Lotor stopped holding them back. I'm glad you liked his singing to calm her down! :)


	3. Chapter 3

There was an ache in her body, as familiar as it was unwanted, Romelle frowning as she stared up at the damaged ceiling. She didn't risk a glance around the room, too frightened of what she might see, and all too aware of Sabbath's approaching nearness.

She held back a frustrated sigh, keeping her tense body absolutely still. She was too stiff to feign being asleep, and yet she prayed with every fiber of her being that Sabbath would leave her alone.

"Romelle..." The saying of her name was thick with his emotion, desire choking every syllable. She cursed inwardly, wondering why he didn't have the sense to leave her alone, to pretend she hadn't just been moaning.

"It was the dreams again." She said out loud, finally acknowledging him, though she did not turn to look at him. But she sensed his movement, felt the bed dip with his weight as he climbed up on it.

"They come more often." He noted, his voice sounding more sensual than it had a right to sound.

"They leave me with no peace." Romelle grumbled, trying to ignore the fact that every word he spoke sounded like a seductive invitation. Now she turned to look at him, forcing her gaze to be accusing. "YOU leave me with no peace."

"Me?" He questioned, but not even surprise could do away with the sinful quality of Sabbath's voice.

"Yes. You've done something...made me feel this way. You've cast a spell on my dreams, forced me to think about you." Romelle heard a rumbling sound come out of him, the girl incensed to realize it was his version of a low chuckle. "It's not funny! You used Drule magic on me!"

Sabbath tried to sober his mirth, gazing at his pretty mate, who lay distressed mere inches from him. Though she tried to hold herself still, he could tell she was

trembling, body betraying her with it's fiercesome need. He could smell the scents of her, the perfume she had once worn faded to be replaced by her natural scent. That scent was mingling with the musk of her arousal, and just scenting it sent a blazing awareness through his body.

"I have no magic." Sabbath told her out loud, trying to remain focused on something other than the fact that her body was calling to him. It was a seductive siren's call, almost impossible to resist, though he made the effort. "Not many Drule do..."

"Then why?" Romelle demanded. "Why do I continue to dream of you?"

"I cannot be entirely sure." Sabbath admitted. "But Prince Lotor told me your cousin dreamt of him. Perhaps this is one way humans recognize their mates." He could see she didn't like what he had said, the girl shaking her head no, sapphire eyes seeming to blaze with anger.

"This is not my body recognizing anything about you!" She snapped, her fist thumping on the bed. "This is Drule trickery, pure and simple." He didn't try to argue with her, seeing she was determined to believe her own accusations.

Minutes passed in silence, Sabbath just staring at her. Romelle hated how he could just sit there for an endless amount of time, doing nothing but look at her with such an intent expression on his face. His eyes said they missed nothing when it came to her, and once she would have been thrilled to be the focus of a man. Now Romelle was just aware that she had no privacy, and that her traitorous body continued to burn, remembering her dreams.

She was exhausted, her mind tired, Romelle having not gained much sleep these past few hours. She had tried several times to rest, and each time, within an hour the dreams would come. Each time they would hit her more forcefully, her arousal raising in intensity, leaving her sexually frustrated and angry. She didn't think she could take much more of this, and that left her worried, Romelle knowing it was only the second day of their imprisonment.

Her body ached to be touched, Romelle wanting to raise a hand to her breast. Her nipples felt harder than they had ever been, and seemed to be begging for someone to pinch them. But there was no chance of even an accidental touch with Sabbath watching, alert to her movements. She sighed, the sound coming out a pitiful whine. She supposed she ought to be embarrassed over that sound, but she had more pressing concerns.

Sabbath watched as Romelle shifted onto her side, placing her back to him. Her long, blonde hair lay draped across it, and he found his fingers reaching for those silken locks. Her scent was affecting him, he didn't try to stop himself from touching her. At his fingers' first stroke through her hair, she stiffened even more, Romelle's voice coming out, colored with suspicion.

"What are you doing?"

He blinked but did not stop his handling of her hair, wondering if he was smiling as he pet her. "Your hair is soft..."

"My hair is a mess." Romelle protested. "I have not had a comb to run through it, and it's in tangles."

"It's still soft." Insisted Sabbath, noting he had yet to come across the tangles she spoke of. "Perhaps the softest thing I have ever had the privilege to touch." She was without comment, but Romelle didn't try to stop his petting. Each pass of his hand down her hair, sent shivers racing down her spine, Romelle thinking she had never been as aware of a touch as she was of Sabbath's.

She lay there on her side, and though the stroking should have relaxed her, it did not. Not when she was so aroused, tingling with the need for pleasure, and wanting his fingers to touch somewhere other than her hair. Romelle grit her teeth, and curled her fingers into fists, trying to dig her nails into her palms so that pain would chase away this damning arousal.

It didn't work, her need too great, Romelle letting out another, sad breath. Sabbath's fingers were working their magic through her hair, and she found herself unconsciously shifting closer to him. She rolled to face him, her hair sliding free of his fingers, and already she missed his touch. "Sabbath?"

"Yes, Romelle?"

"Do you dream of me?" He was surprised by her question, and without thinking it through answered.

"Yes, all the time. I spend every moment, waking or otherwise thinking about you."

"Now that sounds like the admittance of a man who is obsessed." Noted Romelle, and Sabbath frowned.

"It is not obsession to be taken with one's mate."

"Hmmm." She sounded as if she didn't believe him. "Sabbath? Do thoughts of me ever...arouse you?"

"Yes, of course." He promptly answered, and was not expecting the next question.

"And do you do anything about that arousal?"

He wasn't flustered, though he was surprised, giving her a slow nod. "Yes, sometimes."

She was distracted by that word, sometimes, wondering what he meant by that. But she didn't deter from her intentions in opening up this dialogue, Romelle

staring at him. "Then you must understand." She said, boldly looking into his eyes. "The need that I'm feeling." Another nod of his head, his expression far too serious in the moment. "That need that demands things..."

Romelle brought up her hands, and cupped her breasts, and instantly Sabbath was staring at her actions. He made a dry sound in his throat, eyes riveting in place to the spot he longed with all his heart to touch. "I ache..." Romelle continued, and her fingers flexed, the girl giving herself a tiny squeeze. He found himself making a protesting sound, Sabbath not liking that she was the one to touch herself.

"I need to do something about this need." Romelle moistened her lips with her tongue, holding in a relieved sigh as her hands caressed her own breasts. "You understand right...?"

His arm was lifting, hand moving to cover one of hers, his long fingers landing splayed on her breast. She gasped, both at the contact and the audacity of his touch, Romelle shying away from him. "What are you doing?" She asked alarmed, as he moved to crowd in close to her.

"Helping you." Came his answer, and she frowned, realizing he had misunderstood her intentions.

"I did not ask you to touch me!" Romelle exclaimed, and inched further away from him. He looked at her confused, and she almost sighed then. "I want you to leave me alone for a few minutes."

"Why?"

"So I can tend to this need of my body!" She came off exasperated, and grew even more so at his refusal. "What do you mean no?"

"Now is not the time for you to be alone." Sabbath said, and once again reached for her. She sat up, avoiding his hand though he continued to make attempts to touch her. "You need your man to take care of you, to tend to your body."

"I can do that on my own!" Romelle protested, indignant. "I don't need anyone's help! Least of all yours!"

"You have it all the same." Sabbath retorted, obstinate in the moment.

Her temper flared, Romelle jerking off the bed. "You admitted that you get aroused, and you take the steps needed to abate that feeling!"

His reply made her scream, Sabbath saying, "That is different."

"How?"

He paused, not sure how to put in words how abhorrent the thought was to him of his mate having to use her own hands in her quest to find release. She should never have to be so desperate as to reduce herself to that act, especially not when he was with her, eager in his desire to please her.

He took too long in answering, Romelle whirling, stalking away from the bed. Sabbath moved to follow her, watching as she entered the bathroom. He stepped into it's doorway before she could try to close the broken door, Sabbath watching as she cupped her hands under the sink's faucet. She followed up that action by splashing cold water on her face, then looked up and glared at him.

The cold water had done nothing to lessen the fire burning within her, which only increased Romelle's anger. "Why did you say you only sometimes tend to your arousal?" The words came out harsher than they should have for such a question, but she didn't apologize.

His answer surprised her, Sabbath saying. "I don't like to...to partake alone." His eyes darkened, his stare ripe with meaning. "It is much more enjoyable to find release with another." Let me show you, his eyes seemed to scream, and if Romelle hadn't been so angry in the moment, she would have surely blushed.

In order to retain her anger, and keep distracted from her neediness, Romelle snapped out a nasty retort. "And I'm sure you've been with plenty of others! How many women have there been Sabbath?"

He looked guilty then, voice rumbling out his answer. "More than I care to admit."

"And how many have you used this same trick on!" She demanded, hands on her hips. "How many have you lied and told them you were their mate?"

Now he looked affronted. "None. I've never once approached another woman and told her she was my mate. I do not lie about such a thing, it is unthinkable and deplorable to even consider doing such a thing." He sounded like he was chastising her in the moment, and Romelle was in no mood to hear it.

"Get out of my way." She said, pushing at him. He didn't move easily, leaving her to squeeze past him and the door frame. She began picking her way back to the bed, but stopped short of climbing onto it. She didn't want to sleep, not if more dreams would come to torment her.

"Romelle..." Sabbath said from behind her, and she gasped when she turned, the Drule closer than she had realized.

"What?" She demanded, voice higher than she'd like.

"You suffer needlessly." Romelle wanted to scream at that, partly agreeing with him. It was his fault she was going through this, both because he refused to give her the privacy she needed, and for appearing in her dreams. "Let me help you..."

She couldn't, wouldn't allow it, shaking her head no. "And let you ruin me? I think not!" Sabbath frowned at that, not understanding what she meant by that. Romelle saw his confusion, but took no pity on him. "I will not be another notch on your bed post!"

"You are angry that I have not kept myself chaste for you." Sabbath noted, hearing the scoffing sound she made. "But I can assure you there are benefits to having a man with experience."

"Hmph!" She did an unlady like snort, giving a haughty toss of her hair.

He tried again, hoping a change in tactics would calm her fury. "Those women meant nothing to me...they were merely..." He trailed off, realizing to call them practice would be unkind.

"Merely what?" Romelle demanded, than shook her head. "Never mind, I don't want to know. It matters not to me!"

"I think it does matter...or else you wouldn't get so upset." Sabbath said, earning a protesting shout from Romelle.

"I am not upset!" He didn't try to argue with her, just fixed her with a knowing look. She glared even harder at him, burning with both anger and arousal. "I'm not!' She repeated, hands on her hips.

"It bothers you when you hear about other women near me." He cocked his head to the side, studying her angry face. "Not just hearing about them...you were bothered in the dining hall, when those other women wanted me to sing to them."

"I was not." She insisted, and now he shook his head.

"I remember the look on your face, the attempt at bored indifference. You struggled for control, you didn't want me to share my talent with those others."

"You're remembering it all wrong!" Romelle snapped, and he challenged her, arching one eyebrow.

"Am I?"

"YES!"

"Oh Romelle..." He tsked then. "Who are you trying to fool? Yourself or me?" She gasped again, the sound so indignant he smiled to hear it. "There is a saying...about the lady who protests too much. Do you know what that means?"

She was sullen as she answered, lower lip jutting out in a kissable pout. "I'm familiar with that saying, but it does not apply to me. I protest because it's the only way to get it through your thick skull that I do not want you!" He gave her a disbelieving look, and that was enough to keep Romelle talking. "You're arrogant to think otherwise, but I suppose it is to be expected of a Drule. Your people have ego in spades, just look at your prince!"

Sabbath didn't try to insult her race as she had done to his, the Drule instead asking her a question. "Why do you refuse to give me a chance?"

"You're a Drule!"

"That is not an answer." Sabbath protested.

"It is to me!" She insisted.

"I've never done anything to you." He pointed out. "I've been respectful and kind..."

"Yes, for a Drule savage I suppose you have been." She agreed, but before his hopes could be raised, Romelle continued. "Breaking into my bedroom, stalking me all over the castle, embarrassing me in front of my friends."

"Why do you do that?" He demanded, flustered and choosing to ignore the last of what she had said. "You're always quick to insult my people,"

"It's not insults if it's true!" Romelle said, her eyes blazing. Sabbath frowned at her, seeing she truly believed in what she had said. He still wasn't completely sure what had gone aboard the warship when she was a prisoner, but he had some inklings from her hysteria of the day before.

"Romelle...I know they did not treat you well aboard the ship, but you cannot judge all Drule based on the action of a few, lust minded men..."

"Lust minded doesn't begin to describe their depravity!" She retorted. "I could throw in a few choice words of their being evil and obscene..."

"But not all the Drule are like that!" Sabbath protested. "You;'ve just been exposed to one bad element...one side of a group that is large, and contains many various facets to their personalities."

"Unlike my cousin, I am not so easily swayed into believing Drule lies!" Romelle's nose was up in the air, her every mannerism haughty. "Do you think I have not forgotten your people came to invade our planet? You would have enslaved the people of Arus, captured the kingdoms and their various nobility and execute the leaders of this planet. I've no doubt what those Drules wanted to do to me and my friends, they would have repeated to countless women on this planet!"

He wasn't sure what to say, a part of him knowing that many of the soldiers from Doom would have run wild on the planet once it was conquered. He felt ashamed of his race, and Romelle saw that shame in his eyes, the girl turning smug.

"You know that I am right!" The conversation might have ended there if Romelle had not sought to goad him further. "It was only some trick of fate that your prince became besotted with my cousin, saving Arus from you barbarians!" That much Sabbath knew was true, Lotor having risked everything to keep Allura's home world safe. "If it wasn't for Lotor's lust, Allura and I would be dead, or worse, bodies used to comfort your soldiers!"

"That wouldn't have happened...not to you..." Sabbath began, but she interrupted him.

"Why? Because you would have protected me?"

"YES!" He cried, shaking with his agitation. "I would have known you for what you are to me, and taken the measures to prevent any harm befalling you."

"That didn't work for Lotor and Allura, why do you think it would be any different for us?" Romelle demanded.

"Because I would have killed any who so much as looked at you funny!" Sabbath roared, and she squeaked, taking a nervous step back from him.

"So you're a blood thirsty killer as well!"

She only served to frustrate him, Sabbath shaking his head, multiple braids flying about his face. "No...I do not kill for sport! Only to serve my empire!"

"An empire you turned traitor too!" Romelle hissed. "Lotor had an excuse, he wanted in my cousin's bed. But you and the other Drule that side with him, what benefit can it serve to betray your king? Or are all Drules just deceitful liars, ready to back stab and betray at the first available opportunity?"

"You're twisting everything around, and speaking on things you don't have the slightest understanding of!" Sabbath yelled, his voice raised high enough that she cringed back with each word.

"I understand perfectly!"

"You do not!" Sabbath insisted. "Your perception of we Drule are completely warped...it goes beyond cultural differences, to purposefully misunderstanding everything about us!"

"Tell that to the galaxy your empire has terrorized!" Romelle shot back.

"That was the will of our King...the empire will be different under Lotor and Allura's rule!"

"I highly doubt that! Lotor will revert to his true nature once he's tired of pandering to my cousin!" She glared at Sabbath, shaking a finger in his direction. "And so will you! I will not be fooled by your deceitful ways...I know there is a wolf laying in wait...cruel and quick to bite all who come near!"

"It is you who is the animal!" Sabbath growled. "Cornered and wild, lashing out at everyone, even those who would show you kindness! You seek to drive me off with your malice...!"

"Clearly I must try harder since you do not get the message." Her blue eyes blazed an instant, and then she was turning away from him. "This discussion is over!" She snapped when he snatched hold of her left arm. Sabbath didn't let go of her, and he saw the irritation flash on her face, Romelle turning to kick out his legs. It was laughable attempt, Sabbath not only avoiding the lifted leg, he caught hold of it.

"Let me go!" She wiggled, and tried to get free, Sabbath's hand sliding back from her knee to go high up on her thigh. She gasped, and looked enraged, and words passed through her lips that no civilized princess should have known. They had no place in her life, Sabbath letting out a low growl, stepping into her so that his body pressed against hers.

She continued to curse him, hands coming up to push at his shoulders. He didn't move away, instead he pressed them forward, until Romelle's back touched a wall. His eyes were fierce, staring into hers and for an instant she quelled, losing her voice. She couldn't know what he was thinking in the moment, Sabbath's patience at an end, the Drule thinking it was time he tamed his human hell cat.

"You...dirty, arrogant, insufferable bastard!"

"Watch your mouth!" He warned her, and then kissed her, all hard intent, and heated pressure to the unyielding of his mate's mouth. He was still holding onto her thigh, and she kicked out with that leg, but was in no position to land a hit on him.

"MMPGH!" The muffled squeal escaped Romelle's lips, the sound outraged as she tried to back away from his lips. Sabbath raised his free hand to the back of her head, gripping her hair there, and holding her secure. Her hands continued to push at his shoulders, and she did an awkward wiggle, standing on only one leg. That wiggle had her brushing against his body, Sabbath reacting to that soft, insistent grind.

She continued to struggle, but he felt the weakening in her jaw, the tension fleeing her as her lips softened. Victory soared through him, Sabbath pressing the advantage to kiss her even harder. He felt the slightest resistance, and then her lips parted, allowing his tongue to slip past them. For all her spewed hate and animosity, Romelle did not try to bite him, clumsily coiling her tongue with his.

He heard her moan, the sound another small triumph, his mate's resistance melting away bit by bit. He almost lost his anger, Sabbath slowly breaking the kiss, Romelle's lips already swollen from the force of his kiss. She needed a moment to recover, chest rising and falling with her deep breaths. Her eyes looked drugged, a glazed sheen to the blue as she stared at him, lacking the usual force of her hostile glare.

"So now what?" Romelle demanded when she had recovered her voice. "You just take what you want?"

He growled then. "I have never, ever taken a woman by force!" And then he kissed her again to shut her up, hearing her sputtered protests that had no credence to them for she was thrusting her tongue into his mouth. He was surprised by her eagerness, Romelle all but ravishing his lips. She wasn't an experienced kisser, but she used all that was at her disposal, a full arsenal of tongue, teeth and lips.

He felt something scratch his scalp, Sabbath realizing Romelle had grabbed hold of his hair. The thin, tightly wound braids were fisted, Romelle pulling on his hair to keep his head still. Not that he was trying to escape her, Sabbath letting out a guttural groan, delighted by her attention.

He shifted against her, bringing his hand down to feel along her body's curves. She made a sound, pleased, Romelle arching into palm. He could feel her nipple through the fabric of her dress, that bit of flesh stiff and crinkled. His mouth watered for a taste of one, and he fought her then, trying to break free of her kiss.

"You filthy Drule!" She didn't sound as though she was mad, Romelle making that exclamation when he dropped his head to suck at one tender peak of her breast. He took in all of it, cloth and all, moistening both the nipple and fabric as he began doing powerful draws with his mouth. The suction had her writhing, Romelle making sounds, wordless pleasure that notched up higher in volume. "Oh...OH! Ooooooooo!"

Her hands were still in his hair, she was clutching his braids so hard Sabbath thought she might accidentally tear them out. And yet he didn't stop to warn her to be careful, his mouth greedy, and working over her flesh.

Romelle wiggled and moaned, dizzy with desire, hardly daring to believe this was really happening. Was it a dream? And if it was, why it was a million times more vivid than anything she had yet experienced. Sabbath's mouth working on her breast was peerless, her fingers caress couldn't match up to the reality of a man sucking so hungrily on her nipple.

She wondered what it would feel like to be touched without the dress in the way, but Sabbath seemed too consumed with what he was doing to let her find out. She wiggled against him again, and then gasped, his hands on the inside of her thighs, prying them apart. He tugged on her panties, and then with a muffled growl of impatience, tore them off her body. She didn't see where the flimsy fabric landed, and truthfully her panties were the least of her concerns.

Sabbath's fingers were between her legs, stroking along the slit of her body. She wiggled and moaned out an ecstatic yes, noting how different his calloused fingertips felt to her own. He touched her carefully but surely, tracing and caressing every inch of her sex. His thick fingers slid easily along her cleft, the moisture that had collected there easing his way. And then he pushed a finger inside her, the sensation so alien and odd, touching her where she had never dared probe. Her body immediately tightened in response, and Sabbath lifted his head, eyes heavy lidded but unable to hide his keen interest.

She couldn't possibly know how carefully he had pushed his finger inside her, the Drule feeling resistance and the swift clasp of her muscles. He wiggled that finger just a bit, trying to loosen her up for what was to come. Another finger was added, and he found beads of sweat pearling on the sides of his brow. Damn it but she was tight, her body's inexperience would make this hurt, and his gut cramped at the thought of being the cause of her pain.

He listened to Romelle whine as he wiggled his fingers inside her, her glazed over eyes seeming to look right through him. He pinched her clit, trying to regain her attention, and she blinked, seeming to see him. "Do you want me?" He asked, and she hesitated. He circled his thumb over her throbbing flesh, repeating the question. "Do you want me?"

"Yes!" She cried out, and her confirmation seemed to echo in his ears. He withdrew his fingers, and began fumbling with his pants, leaning in to kiss at her throat in an effort to keep her from changing her mind due to impatience. Sabbath moaned when he got his pants open, his cock springing up out of the opening. He was eager for her, cock already rubbing against her sex, Romelle gasping, trying to say something.

"Do...Don't stop! I need you!" His body did a full shudder at those words, Romelle saying exactly what he needed to hear.

His hands began to haul her hips towards his lower half, and she spied the length of him taking aim.

Several things began to happen, Romelle feeling the smooth pressure of his dick, the large head starting to spread her open. Her muscles strained with discomfort, and her ears were filled with the ragged breathing of them both. Sabbath stared into her eyes, moving so slow she thought she'd scream. And then she did scream, and for all different reasons, feeling pain flooding her at his slow thrust.

For a second she couldn't breath, she was hyperventilating, nothing, not even her books, had prepared her in quite this way for the pain of a lost virginity. Sabbath had the sense of mind to go still, not even half in her yet. His eyes were full of concern, and he spoke her name, almost frantic to check that she was all right.

"Romelle!"

The saying of her name brought her back to her senses, she blinked back tears, Romelle glaring at Sabbath. "You beast!" She shrieked, and smacked him with the open palm of her hand, the sound of it connecting with his cheek seeming to ring through the room.

For a second he did nothing, holding himself absolutely still, not even daring to breath. Romelle continued to glare, and he could see she was holding back tears, the sight of which made him feel even more terrible. He couldn't read her expression beyond the anger, was she regretting what she had let him do? And yet her sex squeezed tight all around him, seeming to throb, making it even more difficult to keep from moving.

"I'm sorry." He said at last, and her face turned red.

"You better be!"

He still gripped her hips, but now he began to ease her back, intending to withdraw from her body. This wasn't meant to be, he was too big for her, their joining an anatomical impossibility.

As his cock slid from her body, Romelle felt something beyond the burn of her lost virginity. It surprised her, and she hissed, the sound not without pleasure. Sabbath's eyes widened, and he froze again, the head of his cock still in her. Her blush bloomed on her cheeks, Romelle looking everywhere but at Sabbath. He stared at her a moment longer, and then was doing a tentative push back inside her.

Sabbath had been prepared to stop his attempts to make love to his mate, going against every instinct and urge inside him. But at the sound of her hiss, the pleasure that was contained within it, Sabbath began to feel hope again. And so he did an experimental thrust, going as slow as he could manage, and watching Romelle's face carefully.

She winced, but no tears fell, nor did she get as angry as her initial reaction to his penetration of her. Instead she inhaled sharply, breasts raising with her breath. He began to draw back his hips, and felt an answering squeeze, Romelle's body taking possessive hold of his cock. His mind went blank, Sabbath losing control, jutting forward with more force than he had previously showed.

Romelle's breasts bounced, and she gasped, feeling the breath taken from her at Sabbath's hard thrust. He did another one of those powerful thrusts, and her back actually slid up the wall from the force of it. She still hurt, but underlying the pain was a friction, something that strongly hinted there was much pleasure to be found if she could just get over the pain.

She wasn't sure she wanted to, Romelle knowing a part of her wanted a reason to hate this act, and hate the man that was doing it to her. She had to fight to keep the ice around her heart from melting, Romelle determined that the heat of their coupling would not be enough to soften her to the Drule, this one or any other. And yet she couldn't help noticing how he looked, how wild and feral, with an aura of sexy danger all around him.

Sabbath's eyes blazed, more golden than the sun, the black slits thinned out to the point he looked blind. His hair was tousled, braids everywhere, one straying to cling to his sweat stained brow. She reached up before she realized it, Romelle easing back the braid to it's proper place on his scalp. She didn't move her hand, petting him over and over, making notes on what a fine specimen of manliness he was proving to be.

She took his full length inside of her, and that had her crying out, surprise and pain warring with embers of pleasure. Sabbath was fanning them, and soon those embers would turn into a full blaze, the princess letting out a strangled moan. Her Drule reacted with tenderness, leaning in to her face, to plant tender kisses all over her skin. They were sweet, and they fell everywhere, from the side of her face, to the tip of her nose, and of course on her lips. Such a different sensation from the pulsing presence between her legs.

His mouth meeting hers, brought passion flaring with the flicker of his tongue. Romelle remembered she liked kisses, and that she liked to control them when she could. His tongue penetrated her mouth, and this time she began to suck on the tip of it, hearing his surprised sound. She liked that she could take him by surprise, Romelle sucking harder, then feeling him shifting against her. He slid more fully inside her, and she felt the embers burst into flames, Romelle letting out a surprised murmur.

Emboldened by that, Sabbath responded with a smooth thrust of his hips. She braced for pain, and instead got hot, streaking pleasure. Her body was opening as if it had waited for his possession for an eternity.

"You savage!" She cried out, clinging to him not only with her arms, but now her legs, hooking them around his waist. Her nails dug into his back, if not for his shirt she would have surely bled him. "You...ah...monstrous Drule barbarian!" He took no offense to her words, merely rumbling out laughter, that sent shudders coursing through her. Especially when Sabbath ducked to bury his face against her shoulder in an attempt to muffle his laughter.

She listened to the rasp of his breath, felt it warm her skin, competing with the heat of his embrace which she felt thorough her clothing. This close she could smell his scent, the sweat of a healthy male and the soap he had used. Romelle closed her eyes, and the sensations intensified, her other senses kicking into high gear to let her feel everything about Sabbath.

He seemed to be trembling, which surprised her, Romelle tightening her arms around him. She told herself she wasn't trying to offer him comfort, but could not come up with any other reason for the hug. She trembled too, feeling a crescendo being built up inside her. It's progress was slow, almost lazy, never going over the edge. But it was powerful, and built up with every second, her voice screaming his name.

"Sabbath!"

His body had become a necessity to her, as loathe as Romelle was to admit it. His presence inside her made her feel complete, his absence from her made her feel empty and alone. She squeezed muscles she had never used, trying desperately to keep him inside her, and heard him mutter something in Drule. He kissed her again, his hips speeding up even more, and then she broke, climax tearing a muffled scream from her.

Sabbath cried out as well, feeling Romelle's sex clamp down on his. Her muscles were working to milk him, and he didn't try to fight them long. Hot seed flowed out of him, splashing inside her as he groaned. He dueled his tongue with hers, seeing her eyes snap open, the sapphire blue bemused. A low, continuos sound of keening emerged from her, her body still convulsing from it's climax. Those convulsions sent shivers down Sabbath's spine, the Drule reveling in their shared pleasure.

He nuzzled her throat lovingly, lip fastening on one spot to worry and mark the skin. She made a protesting half moan, but stayed clutching him. Romelle was in no hurry to pull apart from Sabbath, and that realization made him supremely happy. Perhaps even more so than what they had just did. He smiled as he worked to darken her throat's skin, Sabbath thanking his lucky stars that his mate had come around at long last.

To be concluded...

Michelle

Christine, the Dark Rose Maiden, heh...they need to explore that. The dreams. I can't remember if I explained it in the main fic, in the epilogue. I had mused on my journal that the humans used to have the mating connection to, but they somehow bred it out of them. But remnants remain, the dreams showing the humans recognize their mate on some level! XD

One of my favorite parts was him breaking down the door on her when she was trying to do some self loving. I would be mortified if I was her, but since I'm not I can giggle. Of course for this chapter I loved how she kept calling him names while they had sex. And thank you so much! Hope you find enjoyment in this chapter as well!

Misty Gargole, thanks! The only thing better than sexy dreams is when the mated pair makes them a reality! XD

KMS5665, yes it should! As should this chapter! XD


	4. Chapter 4

He woke to his mate's warmth, Romelle snuggled up against his left side, her hand resting firmly on his chest. His arms were around her, a loose but possessive hold, as though in sleep he had feared she'd disappear from his life. Sabbath knew it would take days before such a worry would completely fade, the Drule still finding it hard to believe that he had his mate, and that their bond had been cemented through the act of loving one another.

He smiled as he thought of it, hardly daring to believe that such an act could have come about from the pair's combined anger. Sabbath hadn't known what had come over him, perhaps he had been tired of listening to her insults and accusations. He had kissed Romelle in part to make her be silent, but couldn't deny the thrill that went through him at his attempt at dominating her.

Not that his mate was content to let him master her, Romelle attempting to take charge, kissing him back in such a forceful manner. It had been delightful the way she had rose to the challenge his kiss had offered her, and Sabbath looked forward to seeing what else Romelle would try to do, in an attempt to maintain her dominance over him. He was content to be ruled over by her in all areas except sex, Sabbath having wants and desires that would not allow him to submit to her completely.

Nor would she give him total submission in that area, Romelle hardly a docile partner. He remembered the way she had risen up through the pain, to move with him and take her pleasure from him. And she had been pleasured, of that there could be no doubt, Sabbath looking down at her face, which seemed to shine with her satisfaction. He lifted a hand to her cheek, tracing a fingertip along her soft skin, and grinned at her sigh.

Her thick, blond hair was tangled around her face, long strands of it falling forward to obscure her neck. He began brushing it back, and as he did, he spied the mark on her throat. He had kissed her too hard there, leaving a bruise that signaled where his lips had been. Sabbath couldn't feel bad about that, in fact he felt pleased, possessive pride feeling him to see his mate bearing his mark.

He wanted to leave other marks, there and in other spots, covering her from head to toe so that all who saw her would know she was loved. Romelle shifted against him, and just that slight slide of her body against him was enough to stir his own interest. He began to disentangle himself from her, Sabbath raising up to kneel besides her body. Except for shifting to lay flat on her back, she gave no sign of waking, Romelle content to linger in dreams. Sabbath smiled, knowing he had thoroughly worn her out, and intended to do so again and again, starting right now.

He traced a claw down the center of her breasts, mourning the fact that she still wore her dress. The encounter last night had happened too quickly, there hadn't been time to undress, he hadn't even gotten a chance to properly see to all areas of her body. This would change now, Sabbath moving to kneel between her legs, his claw stroking down her belly.

Once settled, he dragged her skirts up to her navel, and maneuvered the straps of her dress down her arms, so that he could expose her breasts. He sighed at the beauty of her exposed form, Sabbath drinking in his feel of her breasts. Breasts he considered perfect, with their round shape, and plumpness that was almost too much for his hands to wrap around.

Her nipples were the faintest of pinks, tiny morsels just waiting for a good suck. Sabbath remembered how she had tightened at his mouth's use on them, and nearly groaned in pleasure. He bent over one, and did the tiniest of licks, and it seemed to him the nipple instantly stiffened in response. He licked it again, then raised up, wanting to continue his study of her.

His fingers traveled over to her narrow waist, caressing over skin and the bunched up material of her dress. The dress annoyed him, he wanted it gone completely, but he was too impatient to spend time removing it. Not when her body was calling to him, his fingers landing in the blonde curls of her sex. For a few moments he just stroked her there, careful to avoid touching any further than the cleft of her sex.

Just that slight touch, and Romelle moaned, shifting a little in her sleep. He knew if he kept on touching her she'd wake, and a wicked thought sprang to mind. Why not wake up his mate in a way she was sure to really appreciate? He smiled as he parted her silky, white thighs, Sabbath looking her over before cradling his face between them.

He meant to start out slowly, but with one sniff of her scent, he fell upon her ravenous. At the first taste of her, he groaned, likening her to the sweetest of honey. He wanted more of that taste, tongue licking greedily over her folds, working to encourage her body to produce more of it's natural juices.

She rewarded him for his efforts, growing increasingly wet, which only drove him more wild. Sabbath found himself moving his hips, an odd thrusting motion that couldn't relieve the pressure in his pants. His cock was rock hard, and making it's demands known, but Sabbath refused to rush this.

He continued to lick her, moaning into her flesh, tongue laving attention at the entrance to her body. He remembered her tightness, and worried over how sore she'd be

from his abuse of that hole, thinking himself the savage barbarian she had accused him of being. And all because he was contemplating taking her again, her comfort be damned!

He dipped his tongue inside her, and heard her moan, body clenching around his velvet muscle. That excited him further, and he felt her body move, Romelle becoming more aware of her surroundings. Her thighs actually tightened around his head, trapping an all too willing Sabbath who was wiggling his tongue inside her.

Romelle moaned, feeling something absolutely delightful happening between her legs. She was aware that all heat emanated from the center of her body, tendrils of flame extending in all directions, leaving her restless with need. She was disoriented and confused, wondering what the cause of that heat was, and then she opened her eyes.

For one brief moment she stared at the hanging wires of the damaged ceiling, thinking she had been dreaming. But the pleasure between her legs continued, leaving her thighs to tighten around something, and her hips to wiggle in a frantic manner. She gasped and looked downwards, seeing her dress had been arranged so that her body was exposed. Goose bumps broke out across her skin, her nipples growing stiffer, and she saw braided black hair, Sabbath's head nestled comfortably between her thighs.

She tried to say something. It came out a garbled moan. His chuckles reverberated against her, and then she felt his tongue retreat from it's probing position. Instead Sabbath dragged his tongue towards her clit, pressing down firmly on it. Romelle had thought she was at the pinnacle of pleasure, but when Sabbath's tongue touched her clit, she saw stars.

"Ooooh! You're wicked!" Her admonishment came out more like pleasing praise, Romelle recognizing how breathless she sounded in the moment. A low growl of agreement from Sabbath, his tongue licking teasingly at her flesh. She shivered and shook, and then cried out, nearly rising up off the bed when his lips fastened around her clit. "Filthy savage!" But she was grinning as she said it, feeling the moisture that was overflowing from her, and trickling down her thighs.

Sabbath listened to her words, as amused as he was turned on, enjoying drinking up the honey flowing from her body. It was like the sweetest aphrodisiac to him, and he thought he could make a daily if not hourly habit out of drinking it. He didn't think Romelle would object either, not with the way she was grinding against his face, her body undulating in time to his tongue's movements.

Her hand came down to touch his hair, playing with the braids there. Some of them had come undone from her repeated stroking of his hair, but Sabbath didn't care. Not even when she pulled on them, Romelle attempting to press him harder into her. She was as greedy as he was for this, hissing out her pleasure, and rapidly losing awareness of everything except what her mate was doing to her.

"Come for me!" He growled against her, and felt the shudder go through her. "Come for your Drule." He sucked furiously on her clit, and with a gasp and a scream, she climaxed, forcing Sabbath to grab her thighs to keep her in place on the bed. Her body was spasming, going into convulsions and still he licked her, drinking up everything she had to offer.

Romelle was aware of Sabbath's insidious movements, tongue sending rippling after shocks through her, that left her shaken and almost weeping. He didn't seem ready to stop, and she gasped out a please, not sure she could handle another climax so quickly on the heels of the first one.

Sabbath had thoroughly intended to introduce his mate to the concept of multiple orgasm, but at her tearful please, he stopped but not without much regret. Her legs had relaxed, falling spread open so that he could raise his head, and look up her body at her. Her chest was heaving, the girl panting as she tried to calm down from the pleasure he had given her.

He licked his lips, tasting Romelle on them, and then planted a kiss on her belly. She made a sound, a half giggle that pleased him. Her fingers found his hair again, more braids being undone by her stroking. He purred, and this time kissed between her breasts. And then landed a kiss on her throat, before finally claiming her lips. Romelle seemed to gasp at the taste of her own essence on him, but at least she didn't shy away.

He raised up from her, and never taking his eyes off her, began to remove his shirt. She stared, admiration in her eyes at the clean lines of his body, and the muscles that corded there. His shirt was tossed carelessly to the floor, Romelle reaching to tentatively touch his abdomen. Sabbath sighed at her touch, thrilling when she grew bolder, her hands sliding up and down the front of his body.

She didn't seem shy at all, looking at him as her fingers hooked into the front of his pants. His pulse quickened, and before he could stop himself, his own hands dropped to help her open his trousers. His cock sprang free, and Romelle glanced down at it. He heard her gasp, Sabbath realizing she hadn't gotten a good look at him the night before. He suddenly felt nervous, wondering what she thought, his mate remaining silent.

Romelle stared at Sabbath's cock, amazement coursing through her as she realized this is what had been inside her the night before. It was ridiculously huge, almost shockingly so. She had been prepared for him to be big, he was after all a large man in height and width, and his body should be proportioned to match. Now he seemed overly blessed, and she realized she was glad she hadn't noticed his size the night before, for she would have lost her nerve towards joining with him.

She reached out to circle her fingers around the base of his cock, and heard Sabbath's in drawn breath. She glanced up, and saw the anxious way he watched her, Romelle allowing a smile to soften her expression. "You're beautiful." She said, the first time she had ever complimented him. That eased some of his tension, thought it racketed up once more when she squeezed his dick.

"Romelle!" She loved the way he cried out her name, and she squeezed him again, watching as his breathing went funny. Experimentally, she stroked her hand along the very long length of him, Sabbath seeming to strain not to move. She glanced back at his cock, letting her fingers explore the veins that seemed to bulge out on his skin, and felt him twitch at her handling of him.

_~This was inside me.~_ She thought again in amazement, thumb now caressing the tip of it, and the liquid that oozed out of him. That not so innocent touch of hers broke all of Sabbath's control, he was suddenly pushing her down, Romelle gasping but not really as shocked as she pretended to be.

Sabbath's mind had gone blank for one instant when Romelle was touching him. That emptiness exploded into awareness when her thumb rubbed over the slit of his cock's head, and with a growl he pounced on her. She went down with little resistance, pushed against the bed's pillows, her spread legs hooked over his elbows. She was still soaked from his earlier feasting on her sex, Sabbath rubbing his dick over her, letting the tip of it tease over her sensitive clit.

It was enough to get Romelle moaning, her sounds getting louder when he began to push the fat head of his dick into her. He felt the initial resistance of her body, interior muscles still snug even though she was virgin no more. He almost cursed, worrying he was going to hurt her again. His hesitation made Romelle moan impatiently, the girl lifting her hips to welcome even more of him inside her.

He bent over her, and licked at one pearled nipple, a technique meant to distract her into relaxing even more. "Ooh, don't stop!" breathed out Romelle, touching his hair for the umpteenth time. Sabbath drew in a deep breath, deciding to oblige her. Although he moved slowly, he was relentless, pushing into her. Her one hand fell from his hair to his back, and he felt her nails score a direct hit to the skin there.

It fed his arousal, Sabbath inching further inside. The intense pressure around him nearly destroyed his control, the Drule fighting not to savagely pound into her. A glance at Romelle's face showed her eyes glazed over, her lips parted on an unvoiced moan. She was welcoming him inside her, and that knowledge had him move just a bit faster, until he was seated completely inside her.

Sabbath was driving her insane, what with his slow movements, and constant hesitation. She wanted more, wanted to feel the constant movement of his body, feel the same friction and pressure he had generated the night before with his cock. To her frustration, he still held her legs over his arms, preventing her from hooking them around him, and pulling him towards her.

To work out some of her agitation, she scratched him again, and then hissed out words. "Where is my savage?" She demanded, glaring. "Where is the Drule barbarian of last night? I want THAT man in my bed!"

Her words got to him, as did the shifting of her body, Romelle making a movement as though she meant to somehow leave him. Not that she could, not when he held her prisoner so effortlessly with his actions. Sabbath let out a savage growl, warning her not to move, as he began driving his hips into her. She wanted to writhe, but was conscious of his command, fearing he would stop if she so much as breathed funny.

Still she couldn't keep from dragging her nails down his back, leaving bloody welts in her downwards travel to his ass. It was there that she clasped his buttocks, kneading it with her fingers. That massaging touch proved his weak point, Sabbath growling long and loud, his motions becoming more hurried and wild. He bent over her, burying his face against her breasts, and not even then were his growls subdued.

His awareness shrank to the searing heat of her body, to the tension of it's hold, and then the release which allowed him to pull back. Only to have her welcome him back inside again and again, her breath echoing around them each time he thrust. He felt it when she was edging towards her peak, Sabbath reaching between them to stroke her clit as hard as he thrust.

"Sabbath!" Romelle's cried, her pleasured squeal racing through him. It wasn't long before she came, tightening further, muscles trying to milk him. He tried to resist that order, thrusting as he struggled to hold back. He thought he went blind for a moment, seeing darkness and only aware that his mate was quivering under him for what felt like an eternity.

"Romelle..." He groaned then, unable to resist any longer, and with a roar his seed poured out of him. It flowed out in waves, more and more, flooding her insides. He wondered if they'd succeed in making a baby, Sabbath amazed at just how much he had to give her. He trembled over her, and kissed her, hardly chaste as his tongue slipped between her lips, and tangled around hers.

At some point during the kiss he finished, letting her legs slide off his arms to rest on the mattress once more. He shifted, remaining inside her, and maneuvered things so that she lay on top of him, still maintaining that closeness. She sighed happily, body replete with pleasure as she rested on top of him. He couldn't help the foolish grin that crossed his face, Sabbath running his fingers though her hair, basking in the warmth of her body.

Together they lay in post coital bliss, minutes passing, the pair almost drifting back to sleep. Sabbath continued to stroke his mate's hair, noting the scent of her was mixed with his scent, so that he could not tell them apart anymore. That got him smiling even more, and he nuzzled his chin on the top of her hair. Romelle made a murmur of sound, Sabbath hugging her.

He couldn't believe how happy he was, nothing else seemed to matter to him, not even the fact that they were trapped in this room. What did it matter that this was the morning of the third day of their imprisonment, and they had no food? His mate was with him, accepted him, and might even be coming to love him in return. He laughed then, the sound pure in it's happiness, and Romelle glanced up at him.

"I love you." He told her, serious and smiling. "I've never been as happy as I am now. And it's all because of you Romelle!"

Romelle froze when he said those words, her stomach cramping up with dread. He didn't seem to notice, and he began to happily talk about their future together. He stroked her hair as he did this, and for a few seconds she just listened, stunned.

"I'll build a house for us with my own hands." Sabbath was saying. "It can be as big as you want, and anywhere you want it. You'll want to live on Arus, won't you? Of course you will, Doom is no place for a flower like you, even if it comes to be under Lotor's rule."

"We'll have at least five children...the boys will be strong like me, and the girls will be as pretty as you are." Continued Sabbath, seeming to take her silence as agreement. "Oh Romelle, our days will be filled with such joy. And love making..." He grinned. "Lots and lots of love making. We'll be the envy of all the other mated pairs, Drules will talk for years about the bond we have, and how we overcame our rough beginnings to form a union together."

She widened her eyes, staring at him shock. He was getting carried away, thinking they had something between them, when all they had done was have sex. Sure it had been mind blowing, body numbing good sex, but it didn't mean she was making any kind of commitment to him!

"Sabbath..."

"Yes, Romelle?" He gave her his full focus, eyes shining with adoration. It didn't make things easier for her, the girl shifting uncomfortably on top him.

"You...you're making a mistake." She began, getting right into it. "Thinking we have a future together." His smile seemed to die down, he instantly became wary.

"I know...we're trapped in this room. But you have to have faith we won't always be. We'll get out somehow...and when we do, we can let the whole world know that we are mated!"

Her eyes widened in alarm, Romelle automatically hissing. "We are not telling ANYONE about this!"

"But...why?"

"You think I WANT people to know I slept with a Drule!" Romelle demanded, ignoring the hurt look on his face. "The damage to my reputation will be monumental, I might never be able to live down this shame."

"Shame...You're ashamed of me?" The hurt look continued, no traces of Sabbath's earlier happiness remained. She didn't reply to his question, shifting some more, trying to get off him. Sabbath tightened his arms around her, holding her in place, which made the conversation all the more awkward.

"Let me go." Romelle demanded, and he shook his head no. "Sabbath, I do not want to talk to you like this..."

"Like what?" He asked, and there was a hint of angry growl in his voice. "Naked and with my dick still in you?"

She blanched at the harshness of his words, but thought his anger was good for it would make it easier for her to break his heart. "Yes, exactly. It's not proper..."

"Not proper?" He laughed then, the sound a mean snicker. "I think we're well past what is and isn't proper!"

She glared at him, then slammed her fists on his chest, trying to work her way free of his embrace. "It was a mistake." Romelle said, and Sabbath seemed to flinch at that. "We got carried away in the moment, and did something we shouldn't have."

"Shouldn't have? Woman, we are mates! That's what we do, we make love to one another!"

"It wasn't love...it was just sex. It was meaningless." Romelle retorted, trying to keep from sounding defensive.

"Not to me!" Sabbath insisted, and with a pained look stated the following. "Romelle, you mean everything to me. And last night, when you gave in to your feelings and let me bond with you..."

"I have no feelings for you!" Romelle shouted, and somehow managed to wrench herself free of him. She scrambled to get off the bed, trying to hold back a wince of pain at the soreness between her legs. "We did not bond!" She added, standing as straight as she could manage under the circumstances. "It was just sex." She added, straightening out her dress so that she was covered once more. "I was...horny and I used you. You were a temporary cure for what ailed me."

He was angry, but also looking like a wounded puppy dog, gold eyes pained. He didn't try to tuck himself into his pants, just sitting up and staring at her. "How can you say that?"

"It's easy." She lied. "I needed an outlet for relief, and you just happened to be there..." She was struggling to remain cold and indifferent, but found it difficult with the sheer volume of pain he was emanating. "It wasn't like I planned this!" Romelle added defensively. "I was prepared to endure, but then you kissed me..."

_~That's right.~_ She thought to herself. _~Blame him for what happened.~_

"And a kiss was all it took to get you to give yourself to me?" Sabbath sounded skeptical, which only made her color in embarrassment for his question made it sound

as though she was easy.

"No...maybe..." She shook her head rapidly, tangled hair flying about her face. She didn't attempt to brush it away, all but hiding behind the strands that fell over her eyes. "It was...a weird circumstance. You did more than just kiss me you know!" She added accusingly.

"Not until you started kissing me of your own free will!" Sabbath exclaimed. She was shaking her head no, which made him shout at her. "Yes, you did! I will never forget the moment you shoved your tongue in my mouth!"

He saw her blush turn even redder, but he couldn't even muster up satisfaction that she had no retort for him. All he could think of was this moment, and how she was ruining everything between them, and destroying his dreams for their future. That happy home he envisioned for them was being torn apart, the children he thought to have with her nothing but unfulfilled dreams.

"I got carried away." She said at last, and narrowed her sapphire eyes at him. "And so did you. Touching me like that! Is it any wonder I couldn't think straight, when you had your hands all over my body?"

"You were reacting to me the way my mate should!" Sabbath retorted. "Of course you would respond to my touch. There'd be something wrong if you didn't want me when I began to see to you the way a man should!"

"You should have stopped." Romelle's words had him gaping at her in disbelief. How could she think that, he was not made of stone, he had feelings and desires. There was no way he would have been able to stop when she had been so ripe and willing for him. "You should have stopped..." Romelle repeated, as though he hadn't heard her the first time. "What's more, you should have stopped me."

He snorted then, but couldn't generate true amusement at the idea. Last night had been unstoppable, not when his mate had been yearning so open and eager for him. Even at the point where he had hurt her, when the pain had unclouded her eyes enough for her to reel back to some semblance of awareness, she hadn't stopped him. Romelle had wanted him too much, and not just then, but this morning, her hands on his cock had proved it.

Romelle stared at Sabbath, willing his face to turn ugly with anger. His animosity would be better than the lost look he was giving her, it would help her to not feel so bad about what she was saying. "It was a mistake..." She told him again. "One we will not be repeating."

He raised his head at that, face forlorn. "But...how can you say that?" He asked. "When we have such fire, such passion between us?"

"There's nothing between us." Romelle stated coldly. "It was a moment of insanity on my part, one moment I regret deeply." She turned her back to him then, and walked carefully past the debris scattered about the room. She entered the bathroom, and didn't try to fuss with the broken door. Instead she stepped over to the sink, Romelle running the faucet and collecting water in her hands.

As she proceeded to wash up as best as she could, she tried not to think about Sabbath, and the alien emotion that flowed through her. She thought that unnamed emotion might be regret, and she couldn't imagine why she was feeling that way. _~He's a Drule.~_ She thought firmly. _~The enemy! There's no room for him in your life.~_

A noise at the entrance to the bathroom had her glancing that way, Romelle spying a now dressed Sabbath standing in the doorway. His expression was as serious as ever, and for a moment he just stared at her in silent regard. It made her nervous, Romelle forgetting the water as she stared back at him.

"Romelle..." He hated how anguished his voice came out in the moment, Sabbath sure his misery was apparent in every word he voiced, every gesture he did.

"There's nothing left to say." She said, and he shook his head.

"There's plenty." He insisted, and talked over her loud sigh. "I know you don't trust the Drule, that you don't believe in a lot of things we say and do. But...you are my mate, the other half of my soul. I need you like I need the air to breathe..."

"Sabbath, you..."

"Let me finish!" He exclaimed, holding up a hand for her silence. "I need you." He repeated. "Perhaps more than I can ever hope to explain, let alone make you understand. Last night...it wasn't a mistake...not to me. It was a culmination of everything I could have hoped for. I love you."

"That doesn't change how I feel!"

"I realize that." He took an agitated step into the bathroom, not sure what he intended to do. "I also realize that as a human, you need more time to come to grips with your emotions and feelings. I...I scared you somehow...probably with the talk about our future..."

"I wasn't scared!" Romelle denied, with a shake of her head. He came to stand right before her, reaching out with a hand to brush her hair back from her face. "Don't touch me!" She gasped, and pressed back into the sink. Sabbath felt unhappy that she would deny him this small, innocent touch, and the way she tried to back away from him, as though she feared he would do more than touch her hair.

"I'm prepared to wait for you." He said, determination driving him to continue. "But I need you to meet me half way. Visit with me, talk with me...get to know me."

"I can't."

"Why not?" He wanted to know.

"It would only give you false hope." She told him. "It would be too cruel..."

He couldn't believe she would talk to him of cruelty now! "It would be crueler to cut off all association! Romelle...please...one chance...it's all I ask for..."

"You ask for too much..." She told him, and he had to fight to keep his frustration from showing. Didn't she realize it was not just his heart on the line, but his sanity, his very life? He'd die without her, his body withering away from a broken and grieving heart.

"It's just one chance...give me a month...a week...even just one more day to win you!" Some of his desperation came out in his voice, and Romelle continued to shake her head no. "Please!" He was reaching for her arms, his intent to shake some sense into her.

"Sabbath no..." She tried to avoid his hands, her own pushing at his chest. "I don't...I can't..." Romelle was stammering out half formed protests, feeling his strong hands take hold of her. She feared she'd weaken from his touch, Romelle struggling to get away from him when sound intruded on their private drama. Sabbath seemed to stiffen, but he didn't take his eyes off her.

"What's that?" Romelle gasped, and struggled past him. "Is someone at the door?"

"Yes..." Sabbath had followed her out into the bedroom, and he had his blaster in hand. His hearing was sharper than a human's, Sabbath listening to the muffled sounds of men talking, and the thumps that surely signaled someone was clearing out the rubble by the door. His free hand stopped Romelle from approaching it, Sabbath cautious of just who was out there. Was it an ally or an enemy? He had no way of knowing, and that made him tense, especially with his mate to protect.

"Romelle...do exactly what I say, when I say it." He ordered, and she hesitated.

"But..."

"We don't know who that is on the other side of the door." Sabbath saw she understood, and that understanding frightened her. "We may have to fight our way out of this room. I want you to remain behind me where it will be safe." She nodding, seeming to shiver as though she was cold. He knew it was fear that made her react that way, Sabbath positioning them so that they were just out of sight of the door. From the sound of things, it might be a long wait before it would open, and Sabbath was determined that one way or another, he would guarantee Romelle's safety and survival.

This chapter leads into the rescue scene in chapter 47 of the main Animal Attraction story. There was going to be a fifth interlude, but then I couldn't get it to work out in any satisfactory way. Ya'll will just have to use your imagination as to why Sabbath agrees to play errand boy for Romelle as implied in chapter 50.

Michelle

KMS5665, maybe...maybe not.


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